For years I’ve carried on a good-natured banter with my friends and relatives who belonged to what I called The Cult of Apple. They were far too satisfied with their computing experiences for me to believe it was real. There had to be a catch, right? I was an Unbeliever. Someone gave me an old … Read more
After nearly 8 weeks, our perpetual crust of snow and ice is finally melting. As I walked the path to my office after lunch yesterday, I looked down and saw dozens of tiny crocus petals poking up thru the last thin crust of ice. They are already an inch high. They made me smile!
One of my favorite websites just ran a “Christmas Food Memory” contest and –Woohoo! — I received an honorable mention for my entry. It’s about dark chocolate, of course. I thought I’d share with you & ask about YOUR favorite holiday food memory. Here’s my story: It was the fudge. Oh, god, how I waited … Read more
Yes, a high-fructose, corn syrup-based soft drink that is currently under attack for being a significant contributor to the obesity epidemic has gone on the Happiness offensive. First, watch this delightful video, then keep reading. Coke = Brand Mastery I must admire Coke for their masterful work in Brand Management. I mean, how can you … Read more
I have seen no green in my yard since the snows started in the third week of December. As the ENORMOUS piles are now melting away, spring is popping up all over. This little montage captures some of what is emerging in my yard — notice how in two of the shots you can see … Read more
Met a client for lunch today at a little gem of a restaurant in Tremont (a ‘comeback’ region of Cleveland) called Lucky’s Cafe. I’ve had many meetings at this location over the past year, but they’ve always been “meet for coffee” events, so my experience of Lucky’s is as a coffee shop — with a … Read more
By popular demand: Jim’s Dark Chocolate Peppermint Fudge Making the Fudge Put 4-5 candy canes into a plastic bag. Bang with a hammer till in small pieces. Set aside. In non-stick saucepan, mix the following over low/med heat: 1 lb bag confectioner’s sugar ½ cup powdered cocoa – Hershey’s Special Dark is wonderful. If you … Read more
While in Costa Rica, I picked up a package of Chiclets Fusion gum — a luscious blend of chocolate and mint. After consuming the last piece of my stash today, I turned to the web to find out where I might find more. Alas, it appears this gum flavor is only sold in Latin America. … Read more
Zip Lining over the Costa Rican Rain Forest I had a lot of adventures on my recent vacation in Costa Rica — I explored coral reefs, climbed a mountain on horseback, and allowed myself to be strapped to a steel cable and pushed out of tree — upside down. Yikes! I took this video on … Read more
My eldest child, Kelly (a regular reader of this blog), has been bugging me since I started it, asking, “when are you gonna write a column about ME?” For a long time I put her off by pointing out that this is my professional blog, not personal. Well, since I recently wrote about BOTH of … Read more